Regional Healthcare Waste Project

Technology Options: Safe Destruction of Healthcare Waste Other Than Traditional, High Temperature

Research into healthcare waste technology options other than incinerations was undertaken following a request from Timor-Leste. 

This report assists Countries to select alternative technologies for the treatment of healthcare waste other than traditional incineration or landfilling.

This study relied primarily on desktop research to generate a decision-making tool to assist with the selection of Healthcare Waste (HCW) treatment technologies. The tool can be used to inform planning decisions within the Pacific context, although specific contextual considerations (such as geographical, financial and socio-political requirements) need to be applied by those using the tool. The diverse context of the Pacific region has been considered during the research.

Healthcare waste management technologies included in the detailed evaluation were:

• Microwave treatment
• Steam disinfection
• Pyrolysis
• Friction heat treatment
• Non-chlorinated chemical disinfection

Assessment of Small-Scale Technology Suitable for Waste Management in the Pacific and Timor-Leste

This report summarises the most appropriate waste management technologies with consideration to the inherent constraints of the region.

The report provides assessment of technology options across eight waste streams (Health care waste, E-waste, Asbestos, Recyclables, Organic waste, Disaster waste, Bulky waste, Wastewater: Water impacted by Solid Waste).

This research focused on investigating the range of technology options and providers for the priority waste streams. The technologies identified were deemed capable of assisting with the management of one or more of the priority waste streams.

Development of National Healthcare Waste Management Strategy in Timor-Leste

a National Healthcare Waste Strategy for 2022 - 2026 was developed for Tinor-Leste.  The Strategies vision is:  an integrated and sustainable health care waste management system developed to ensure that all wastes generated within the health sector are managed without adverse effects on human health and environment.

The National Healthcare Waste Strategy for 2022-2026 includes:

• details of the status of HCWM in Timor-Leste
• achievable goals with objectives to deliver on the vision. The goals are consistent with the current 2012-2030 National Health Sector Strategic Plan in place for Timor-Leste
• an action plan for implementation
• national and local monitoring and evaluation processes that evaluate whether the plan is achieving the goals for the HCWM system.   

Development of National Healthcare Waste Management Policy for PNG

The policy (and associated guideline) provide strategic and broad operational guidance for healthcare waste management (HCWM) over the next 7 years (2024 – 2030) in step with the National Health Plan 2021 – 2030. This is done in two separate documents – Part 1 provides the HCWM Policy and Part 2 provides detailed Guidelines for HCWM implementation.

The Policy was developed to address issues regarding HCWM so that there is reduced risk to people both in terms of their health and wellbeing, as well as the environments that people find themselves in every day.

New rules and regulatory frameworks are being put in place by health and other sectors in PNG involved in managing cleaner and healthier environments, and this Policy aligns HCWM with such frameworks.  The Guideline provides broad guidance on the special requirements for proper HCWM.  Ultimately the Policy and Guidance paves the way for a National Standard for HCWM which will support (and mandate) healthcare wastes to be managed according to a uniform standard.

This Policy does not replace any existing policies, rather it is designed to work within the National Health Service Standards (2021) and the National Health Plan (2021-2030). The HCWM Policy Guidance (accompanying Policy Part 2 document) can be converted to a standard set suitable for accreditation as the National Quality Standard for HCWM. The HCWM Standard will compel managements of healthcare facilities to develop and implement their own HCWM Systems aligned with the Standard while being commensurate with their service tier level. 

Personal Protective Equipment: Guidance for Waste Management Workers in Pacific Island Countries

This publication provides a summary of international best practices related to the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). It is intended to serve as a general guideline to support safety and compliance efforts across various industries and regions. 

Healthcare Waste Management Training

A training package was developed based off the PacWaste Project training developed in 2015.  The initial material was reviewed for currency, and specifically updated for use in Timor-Leste, as a specific requirement in the PAGoDA was to deliver this training in Timor-Leste to close the PacWaste activities.

The updated training was developed as a ‘train-the-trainer’ package and delivered to staff from the Timor-Leste Ministry of Health.  The trainer then assisted the Ministry staff to deliver this training to the various hospitals.

Once delivered in Timor-Leste, the work was assessed further and tailored to support the actions in PNG.  Initially trailed in Port Moresby to the Central Public Health Authority (PHA), the training was then rolled out to a further 10 PHAs across the country.

Finally the training was reassessed by an adult learning specialist and revised to be delivered as a training that could be delivered to all countries in the region.  The training was rolled out to Kiribati, Fiji, FSM, Nauru, Niue, RMI, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.